Nam Ji-hyun turns into a Girl Detective
by javabeans
I loved Nancy Drew as a kid, so I am way onboard the concept of Girl Detective Park Hae-sol, which is an upcoming Drama Special mini-drama starring the wonderful child actress (er, teenaged now) Nam Ji-hyun in the title role.
Nam (who was so good playing childhood roles in dramas like Giant, Queen Seon-deok, and Will It Snow For Christmas) will play a character possessing keen senses that enable her to discern people’s emotions. The mystery unfolds as she investigates the suspicious events of her father’s death six years ago.
Nam has wonderful screen presence and a lively, energetic appeal so I look forward to seeing her playing a plucky teenage detective; producers explained that it was tough trying to get such an in-demand actress for their drama, but thankfully Nam is a huge fan of mysteries and detective stories.
It seems like the story may be a bit darker and more complex than “girl detective” lets on; the plot bears some close resemblances to real-life events. Namely, a corruption scandal tied to the presidential election of 2007 (known as the BBK incident). Producers have denied the linkage, saying that their story isn’t ripped from any particular headlines, but there are enough similarities that people are making the connection.
In the drama’s fictionalized telling, a reporter gets his hands on a wiretapped tape detailing the crimes of a candidate with roots in a shadowy organization. He tries to reveal the truth and gets assassinated for his troubles, losing the tape in the process.
Six years later, a different member from that organization is up for the presidential election, and they find out about another copy of that tape and set out to track it down. It’s in this landscape that the reporter’s daughter Hae-sol sets out to get to the bottom of Dad’s murder, with the aid of a cop (played by Kim Joo-young, Vampire Prosecutor’s adorable intern) and a prosecutor (Lee Min-woo of The Princess’s Man).
The story sounds serious, but the stills look cute; I’m game to see whether the mini-drama can effectively meld those two things into a compelling story. Writer Yoon Soo-jung appears to be a new name, but PD Kim Sang-hwi directed the much-lauded war drama Comrades, so it’s in solid hands.
Girl Detective Park Hae-sol will air for four episodes and premieres on KBS on February 12.
Via Yonhap News
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Tags: Drama Special, Lee Min-woo (2), Nam Ji-hyun
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1 Geneva
February 5, 2012 at 1:16 PM
Ooooh! I've been waiting for Nam Ji Hyun to get a lead role since I saw her in Will It Snow For Christmas, this looks like it's going to be good.
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2 Banu
February 5, 2012 at 1:31 PM
YAY awesome..
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3 supah
February 5, 2012 at 1:35 PM
Awww... The nicest of prompts to get me back into watching Drama Specials again.
Just adore this young actress in all her projects.
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4 Noelle
February 5, 2012 at 1:36 PM
Oh this seems like it's gonna be goood! I never seen her or her cast mates in anything but the story sounds like my cup of tea. Love detective/mystery dramas.
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5 lovepark
February 5, 2012 at 1:38 PM
The plot sounds good, and it has Lee Min-woo. Woot woot!
I really enjoy watching the drama specials since they have a shorter number of episodes but still have the ability to pack a punch. The latest two series were only okay, but fortunately the second was better than the first so here's cheers that they'll just keep getting better!
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6 eb
February 5, 2012 at 1:47 PM
thanks for letting us know about this. i love nam ji hyun so i'll definitely try to watch this.
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7 meilady
February 5, 2012 at 1:57 PM
Sounds like funnn~
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8 Ani
February 5, 2012 at 2:05 PM
I love how the men have oink shades. So many dramas and min-dramas. Kind of hard to keep up.
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Ani
February 5, 2012 at 2:05 PM
*pink
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9 xiaoSxin
February 5, 2012 at 2:11 PM
She's one the really good actresses of her generation
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10 Kiara
February 5, 2012 at 2:15 PM
Nam Ji-hyun, my favorite child actor. Good to see her back <3.
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11 Amber
February 5, 2012 at 2:20 PM
You guys are my main source of what to watch. One more for the list!
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12 Koreandramasrock
February 5, 2012 at 3:06 PM
And Feb 12th is my birthday.. ooo.. Thanks for the bday present kdrama gods!
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13 caffeinebreak
February 5, 2012 at 3:30 PM
I frickin' LOVE this girl. She was fantastic in Giant and she totally made me stay with Will it Snow for Christmas much longer than the drama deserved (along with her co-star Kim Soo Hyun's performance).
I'll definitely be watching out for this mini series as I really adore the acting of all three leads.
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14 jelly
February 5, 2012 at 3:46 PM
It's about time this girl get a project in a leading role cause she really deserve it.
She has remarkable performance in Will it Snow for Christmas and Queen Seun Duk.
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15 Revy
February 5, 2012 at 3:49 PM
owww i am excited for this. I love a good detective/mystery story plus the cast is A
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nauna
February 5, 2012 at 4:04 PM
Yeah, I would watch this just for the cast alone, but the detective/mystery plot is like the cherry on top!
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16 Lidy Wilks
February 5, 2012 at 3:57 PM
oh i was such a nancy drew fan when i was younger too. couldn"t get into the hardy boys tho. looking forward to this.
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17 dal
February 5, 2012 at 4:21 PM
So happy to see Nam Ji-hyun going to be in a new drama. Love her. Hope some day she and her co-star Kim Soo Hyun can pair up again. Want to see these two.
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18 Raine
February 5, 2012 at 5:06 PM
YES LEE MIN-WOOOOOOO!!!!
I've been dying to see him again. He was so amazing in TPM!!! What a fantastic actor he is.
Plus, like JB, I was a huge Nancy Drew addict as a kid.
We used to play hangman with book titles in the 2nd grade, and my books ALWAYS started with ND...so all the kids would call out Nancy Drew! Before I even put my chalk to the chalkboard...yes kiddies, there were chalkboards back in the day.
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19 Cam
February 5, 2012 at 5:13 PM
Oh goodness! I really like this actress Nam Ji Hyun from Giant and Queen Seok Deok & she's great :) :) Woah, I remember when I've admired that book Nancy Drew (I read that alot when I was young) from back then, of course.
~ Awesoome ~
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20 ny
February 5, 2012 at 5:45 PM
She looks like this famous singer Agnes Monica? (from Indonesia if I am not mistaken)doppelganger. I saw her- the singer not nam ji hyun- on Asia Music Festival in few years back
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21 yuvee
February 5, 2012 at 5:54 PM
This looks AWESOME! I'm a big fan of detective stories, and if you put a little girl as the lead then I'm definitely a fan. Just one gripe though, what is up with her bangs?
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22 annie
February 5, 2012 at 6:29 PM
Ohmygosh, how nostalgic! This brings back memories of reading Nancy Drew on lazy summer days, imagining I was off solving thrilling mysteries in exotic and glamourous locales. Nancy was such a kickass heroine. And I love Nam Ji-hyun, so this is a must-watch!
This kid-detective genre tends to be common in Japanese dramas, but I haven't seen a kdrama version yet. I'm looking forward to seeing how it will turn out, and if they can balance the seriousness with some humour. Although I suppose the avenging-dead-parent angle is VERY Korean, lol.
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23 j
February 5, 2012 at 8:09 PM
one of the best teen actresses in Korea for sure!
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24 Eileen
February 5, 2012 at 8:10 PM
Anyone else get a Dakota Fanning vibe from her? :D First 3 pictures especially.
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25 Ami
February 5, 2012 at 8:34 PM
Waah, Lee Min-woo and Nam Ji-hyun!
I miseed Lee Min-woo and wanted to see something else from him since The princess' man! <3
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26 Ariel
February 6, 2012 at 12:20 AM
Just finished watching Special Investigation Unit (Korean Movie) with Uhm Tae-wong, Jo Won, Kim Jung-tae and Sung Dong-il. The movie is a cop thriller and the question is how far does the corruption go? It's full of bromance of the hurting kind so if you have the time check it out at Dramacrazy.
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27 Qila Hyukjae
February 6, 2012 at 12:40 AM
KIM. JOO. YOUNG. MY. FAVORITE. INTERN FROM VAMPIRE GEUMSA. MY. GOD. /faints/
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28 Yinnie
February 6, 2012 at 2:32 AM
I hope they keep the character of nam and not try to turn her into a pathetic wreck when loves bumbles along!
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29 maria
February 6, 2012 at 12:10 PM
is that the girl that played young ji sun in warrior baek dong soo and the guy from the princess man??????
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30 ~Feather~
February 6, 2012 at 2:19 PM
Yesss! I LOVE mysteries! I remember reading Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, and a LOT of others mysteries while growing up. The whole kid/teen detective really perks my interest b/c it usually is different from an adult mystery in tone. I will be, happily, looking forward to this. :D
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31 thao
April 30, 2013 at 8:53 PM
nam ji hyun so kute hihi
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